« Article 25 of the constitution guarantees freedom of expression and protects individuals from state interference on expression of their opinions. Article 28 protects freedom of the press and imposes on the state a positive obligation to undertake the requisite measures to ensure the exercise of this freedom. The constitution guarantees the right to declare or disseminate opinions individually or collectively and to access and share information and opinions without state interference.

What lies beyond this liberal façade, however, is a framework where nationalism, statism and cultural conservatism emerge as the supreme values looming over individual rights. The exercise of fundamental freedoms is subject to compliance with; inter alia, national security, national unity and state secrets.

The constitution entrusts the state with the duty to make sure that citizens act and think in accordance with the ideals of Atatürk, the values of the nation and the morals of the family. Article 41 identifies the family as the ‘foundation of the Turkish society’ and tasks the state with taking measures to protect ‘the peace and welfare of the family’ and to protect children against all kinds of abuse and violence. Article 58 allots the

duty to protect the youth against abuse, exploitation and ‘bad habits’ such as alcoholism, drugs and gambling to the state, and as well as the responsibility to raise young people in accordance ‘the principles and revolutions of Atatürk.’ Making note of this ‘state- centrist approach,’ the Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights pointed out the pervasive recognition ‘that the letter and spirit of the present Turkish Constitution represent a major obstacle to the effective protection of pluralism and freedom of expression’ (Hammarberg, 2011: para. 11). » […]

Media policy in Turkey has shaped the media-state relationship since the establishment of the first newspaper in the late Ottoman period. While regulations were often employed as an effective disciplinary tool against the press in processes of state formation and modernization, opponent journalists have constantly been suppressed by state and non-state actors who claimed to act in the name of ‘state interests’.

The coup d’état in 1980 and the concomitant economic liberalisation changed the ownership structure of the media sector with the entry of new investors. Following the abolishment of state monopoly on broadcasting in the 1990s, big conglomerates expanding through vertical and horizontal mergers have dominated all fields of the media. The high concentrated market structure in the media was made possible due to the inadequacy of legal barriers to cross- mergers, as well as the lack of measures that would prevent media conglomerates from participating in public tenders in other sectors of the economy. The shortcomings of the regulatory framework to promote press freedom and diversity in the media has encouraged big corporations to regard themselves as legitimate political actors that can bargain with the government.

Media ownership was restructured following the economic crisis in 2001. Big media groups, which had investments in the financial and banking sectors, were particularly affected by the crisis; some being completely wiped out of the market, while others were seized by the state. Shortly after the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi- AK Parti) came to power in 2002, the mainstream media was reconfigured ideologically as either ‘opponent’ or ‘proponent’ to the government.

Notwithstanding the limited positive effects of the EU accession process on media freedom, there are dozens of ECtHR judgments regarding freedom of expression and freedom of the press waiting to be executed by the Turkish state. Journalists who are powerless vis-à-vis the owners and political power are particularly affected by the political polarisation in the media. The structural obstacles to unionization and the lack of solidarity in the profession lead to labour exploitation, low quality content and violations of media ethics.

The lack of a strong pro-democracy social movement; the ideological conservatism of the judiciary; the institutional weakness of the parliament; and the lack of democracy within political parties render the government – and future governments – too powerful vis-à-vis the society and the media. On a positive note, however, there is a growing awareness on the need for social monitoring of the media. In the absence of a widely accepted and established self- regulatory framework, various non-governmental organizations and activist groups started to watch the media in order to expand the culture of diversity and to reduce discrimination, racism and hate speech.

« In recent years, Turkey has not just become more politically and economically active in the Middle East but culturally as well. The popularity of Turkish television series and holidaying in Turkey has become far more apparent. Thus the 2010 survey included questions about television and holidaying to understand this phenomenon.

Turkey as a destination has become more popular. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of tourists arriving from the surveyed countries increased from between 25% to 55% depending on the country.

Since 2009, Turkey has lifted visa requirements with Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria in both directions as well as for Saudi Arabian citizens. Indeed, comparing the number of tourists arriving from these four countries in the month of July 2010 to July 2009 reveals the impact of this policy: there was a 32% increase in the number of tourists from Jordan, an 88% increase from Lebanon, a 133% increase from Syria and a 59% increase from Saudi Arabia.

The results show that respondents saw Turkey as the most popular Middle Eastern destination. Indeed, Turkey was the most popular destination in Lebanon (51%), Iran (50%), Syria (43%), Jordan (41%), Palestine (41%) and Saudi Arabia (26%). Turkey’s nearest rival, Saudi Arabia, was the most popular destination amongst Egyptians only (32%). When asked about holidaying outside the region, France was the most popular destination but Turkey was the second most popular alongside Germany with 9%.

Turkish television series, dubbed in Arabic, are contributing to the visibililty of the country in the Middle East. Today the volume of these exports to the region is around $50 million per annum.

Indeed, television series have become an important part of Turkey’s soft power; the number of people who watch Turkish TV series in the region is very substantial and this has the potential to have a lasting effect on Turkey’s image. The survey results confirm this popularity: 78% of respondents had watched a Turkish TV series. The number of viewers was particularly high in Syria (85%) and Iraq (89%). Indeed, it’s not just the series themselves but Turkish celebrities that are popular in the Middle East: respondents could name no fewer than 15 Turkish TV series and 15 celebrities. Knowledge of Turkey’s television series and celebrities was particularly noteworthy in Iraq. »

« According to data from the Radio Television Supreme Council, there are currently 24 national, 15 regional and 209 local television enterprises on air. The categorization as national, regional and local broadcasting was done in consideration of RTÜK’s terrestrial broadcasting frequencies plan and the licenses granted under said plan. Yet, the developing technology and the widespread usage of satellite receiver systems continue to blur the distinction between local, regional and national broadcasting. For example, a television enterprise established in and broadcasting from the Black Sea region can have its broadcasts reach the national and even international audiences through satellite. Hence, although it may have a local broadcasting licence, it is not possible to regard such a television station as a local broadcaster. Even this change only demonstrates the need for more research and more discussion on the area of local broadcasting in Turkey.

On the other hand, in all of these scales, television is the media channel that has the highest access rate: it reaches more than 98% of those living in Turkey.The daily average spent watching television is 3 hours, going up to 7 hours for stay at housewifes. Cable TV broadcasting services are available in 21 cities, with approximately 1 million 275 thousand subscribers. Türksat A.Ş, the cable company that broadcasts public and private television enterprises, belongs to the state and is a monopoly. The company provides both infrastructure and broadcasting services; hence it also determines the channels that can broadcast on cable. A new draft regulation on the privatization of this service has been submitted to the public by RTÜK. The effective date of the regulation is as yet unknown.

Additionally, there are also two digital broadcasting platforms in the television broadcasting sector, one belonging to the Çukurova Group (Digiturk), and the other to the Doğan Group (D-Smart). DIGITURK has approximately 2 million 200 thousand subscribers, while D-Smart has 1 million 200 thousand subscribers. »

« The media sector in Turkey is divided into aggregations. The biggest eight of the 15 media groups are Albayrak, Doğan, Çukurova,Ciner, Çalık, Feza, Doğuş and İhlas Groups. All major private television and radio stations, newspapers and periodicals belong to these groups. The Doğan Media Group and Merkez Group also have a monopoly over the distribution of the print media through Yay-Sat and MDP, respectively.

Established in 1980, Doğan Media Group is the largest media holding company in Turkey. The group has eight dailies: Hürriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Posta, Vatan, Fanatik, Referans and Hürriyet Daily News. Hürriyet and Milliyet have a nationalist and statist position while Radikal has a social-democrat point of view. Posta is a tabloid newspaper and Referans was a financial newspaper that has recently been merged with Radikal. Doğan Media Group also owns the national TV channels Kanal D, Star and CNN Turk and radio channels Radio D, Slow Turk Radio and Radio Moda. The group also owns a digital platform called D-Smart, which includes many thematic and pay-per-view channels. Moreover, the group provides access for all TV channels on Türksat satellite. It has a stake in the cinema and advertising industries through D Productions. Channel Romania D is another investment of the group in Romania. The group also includes Doğan Burda Rizzoli (DBR), a joint venture with the German publishing house Burda and the Italian media corporation Rizzoli. Doğan runs its own news agency, DHA, publishing house, Doğan Kitap, and merchandising company, D&R. […]

Doğuş Media Group was founded in 1999. Its first channel was the news channel, NTV. In addition, the group collaborates with international brands such as CNBC, NBA, Billboard, Virgin, and National Geographic.

The Albayrak Group was established in 1952. Until 1982, it was active only in the construction sector. The group began publishing the daily Yeni Şafak in 1995. Having liberal and left-wing columnists who do not belong to the Islamic community the paper has emerged from, Yeni Şafak “offers a relatively broader perspective especially about the controversial issues.” Since 2007 it has been running TVNET, a news channel.

Ciner Holding was an active company in the automotive and energy sectors under the name of Park Holding. In 2002, the company entered the media sector. In September 2007 Ciner Publishing Holding was founded; it currently owns Habertürk.com, Habertürk Radyo, Habertürk TV, Ajans Habertürk and Gazete Habertürk. The company holds international TV and radio channels such as Bloomberg TV and Bloomberg HT Radyo. The Turkish language editions of Marie Claire and Maison, belong to Ciner Group as does the recently closed Newsweek, FHM, Food and Travel, GEO, and Mother and Baby.

Çukurova Holding currently publishes the Akşam, Güneş, Tercüman newspapers and Alem magazine and owns the Show and Sky Turk TV stations. Turkcell, the leader in the GSM industry, as well as Digiturk, which broadcasts the national football league matches, also belong to this group.

The Turkuvaz Group belongs to Çalık Holding. In December 2007 the group bought the Merkez Medya Group from Ciner Holding and became the proprietors of the newspapers Yeni Asır (Izmir), Sabah, Takvim, Günaydın and Pas Fotomac, the weeklies Bebeğim ve Biz, Sinema, Home Art, Yeni Aktuel and Gobal Enerji, as well as the television station ATV. […] »

« Turkey’s Image in the Arab World »written by Carnegie Middle East Center Director Paul Salem draws upon the survey to look at how Turkey is and should be responding to recent events in the region.

(p.6-7)« […]Questions 20 and 21 indicate the influence of soft power. A full 78% of respondents in the Arab world and Iran report that they have watched Turkish soap operas. Indeed these TV programs have taken the region by storm, with Turkish TV stars becoming pop idols among young and old, men and women. The impact of watching hours of these Turkish soap operas cannot be underestimated as they have the effect of creating attachment, understanding, and affection for Turkish identity, culture, and values among wide regional publics. Like Egyptian TV and cinema created a prominent cultural place for Egypt in previous decades, Turkish television has made similar inroads in Arab (and Iranian) popular culture. This has been complemented by a wave of tourism to Turkey in which Arabs and Iranians from various classes and walks of life have visited Turkey and become familiar and attached to its towns and cities, history and monuments, culture and people. Turkey is identified in the survey as the most popular tourist destination (35% put it as their first choice; followed by 19% for Saudi Arabia; and 13% for Lebanon.)[…] »

« Challenges to Turkey’s Soft Power in the Middle East »written by the Dean of Graduate School of Sciences in METU Meliha Benli Altunışık questions how Turkey exercises its soft power in the Middle East, an issue that has become all the more relevant as a result of the Arab Spring.

Turkey’s attractiveness : (p.2) » […] Finally, in recent years Turkey has become a source of attraction because of its cultural products. Since 2004 Turkish TV series have become quite popular in the Arab world. 78 percent of the respondents said yes to the question of whether they have ever watched a Turkish TV series in the TESEV poll. The popularity of these series has led to an increase in the numbers of visitors to Turkey from the Arab countries. The increase in human-tohuman interaction has facilitated learning from each other and started to shape images of the “other” in more positive ways.[…] »

Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay pose with the producers and actors of some popular Turkish TV dramas at the ceremony. AA photo. Source : Hürriyet

« Producers and actors of Turkey’s popular TV dramas were presented with plaques at a ceremony due to their great contributions to Turish tourism

The producers and actors of Turkish TV dramas, which receive international acclaim and are important in encouraging tourism in the country, were presented plaques recognizing their contributions to Turkey’s promotion at a ceremony held by the Tourist Hotel and Investors Association (TUROB).

In a speech during the ceremony, Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay, praised those in the sectors of tourism and culture for objectively highlighting the beauty, richness and even the problems of the country to the world. He noted that in 2011 Turkey hosted the sixth-highest number of tourists holding foreign passports, surpassing Britain.

“In 2012, despite problems at our southern borders, we hosted some 32 million foreign tourists. Turkey gets nearly $25 billion in income from tourism. All people in the sector try to promote the country to the world but the most effective promotion is that of culture and arts. As a result of these efforts, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry was chosen as the best tourism organization in Europe last year in Portugal. This is the result of our synergy.”

Günay said the ministry has aimed to support Turkish cinema in recent years, adding that they are preparing to develop a new cinema law. “TV dramas promote Turkey around the world on their own accord. I learned the names of many dramas and their actors while abroad over the years. I heard their names abroad for the first time and wondered about them. Many of my friends abroad joke that they organize their meetings and travels according to our TV dramas. They ask me ‘Is Turkey really so beautiful?’,” he said.

While the state had spent about 5 million Turkish Liras on cinema between 1990 and 2005, he said they have stepped up support to cinema since 2006 as in light of its prominence and influence.

“We have given some 110 million liras of support since 2006. We are working on a new cinema law. I will present it to the Council of Ministers in the coming meetings. We are trying to secure the rights of TV series actors. Once this law is made, we will have a more civilized cinema law.” […]

Popularity of Turkish dramas abroad

TUROB Chairman Timur Bayındır said that Turkish TV dramas are world-class quality and they are proud to see Turkish dramas aired on prime time abroad. “These dramas promote Turkey to millions of foreigners.”

Turkish actor Halit Ergenç, an actor in one of the most popular Turkish TV drama abroad, “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century) as the Ottoman sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, spoke of the criticisms the drama has received. “If a project is good, it can face such attacks.”

He said the popularity of Turkish TV dramas, particularly in the Middle East, was a source of pride. “We did not estimate that our international success would reach this point. Neighboring countries are closely following us. It is very pleasant that Arabs watch us, too.”

Following the speeches, the actors and producers of TV dramas including “Muhteşem Yüzyıl,” “Kurtlar Vadisi” (Valley of the Wolves), “Ezel,” “Suskunlar” (The Silent), “Binbir Gece” (A Thousand and One Nights), “Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki” (Time Goes By) and “Yalan Dünya” (World of Lies), received their plaques.

« The Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) has fined Turkish private broadcaster CNBC-E a total of 52,951 Turkish Liras for airing an episode of the animated sitcom « The Simpsons » in which God is shown to be under the command of the Devil, daily Hürriyet has reported.

RTÜK said the fine had been levied due to CNBC-E “making fun of God, encouraging the young people to exercise violence by showing the murders as God’s orders and encouraging them to start drinking alcohol on New Year’s Eve night.”

“One of the characters is abusing another one’s religious belief to make him commit murders. The bible is publicly burned in one scene and God and the Devil are shown in human bodies,” the RTÜK report said.

In another scene, God serves coffee to the Devil, which can be considered an insult to religious beliefs, according to the report, which explained the motive behind the fine.

“The Simpsons” is the longest-running U.S. sitcom and longest-running U.S. animated program. »

« Turkish President Abdullah Gül has hailed depictions of history in TV shows and movies, adding his voice to recent debates over whether the depiction of history by artistic circles distorts society’s perceptions about certain historical incidents and figures.

“The fact that historical events or people are being dealt with in movies or TV series is a welcome development,” Gül said during the annual Presidential Grand Awards in Culture and Arts on Thursday.

The president stated that history, especially the Ottoman era, has in recent years become a subject of curiosity and interest for people and that’s why we see historical events and figures being more frequently portrayed in TV series, films and stories.

“It is important to take lessons from history. As the Turkish saying goes, ‘history repeats itself’,” Gül further stated.

The debate on TV shows based on history was sparked by remarks from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who severely criticized “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century), a historical soap opera on Turkish networks centered on the intrigues of the Ottoman Palace. Those who criticize the series say it portrays şehzades, or the children of the sultan, as indulged only in sensual pleasures.

Erdoğan feels that the series undermines the golden age of Turkish history, as it portrays Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, known as Kanuni in Turkish, who reigned from his coronation in 1520 to his death in 1566, in a way conservatives in Turkey say is skewed.

Erdoğan not only lashed out at the show but also at its producers, as well as the owner of the network that runs it. “We know no such Kanuni. He spent 30 years of his life on horseback [as opposed to the life of indulgence portrayed in the series]. I publicly condemn the directors of that show and the owners of the television station. We have warned the authorities about this. I expect the judiciary to make the right decision.”

The series has been running for two years. Erdoğan and other government representatives have occasionally expressed their annoyance with it, but this was the first time Erdoğan called on the judiciary to act against the show, sparking a major controversy about free speech in Turkey. »

« Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s heavy criticism Nov. 25 of the hit Turkish TV soap opera “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century) for its portrayal of the Ottoman ruler Süleyman the Magnificent has led to rigorous criticism by members of opposition parties.

Some described Erdoğan’s behavior as an intervention in the judiciary because he had said, “We have alerted the authorities on this, and we wait for judicial decision on it.” Others said the prime minister was mainly trying to divert the country’s agenda.[…]

Tv series and historical facts

“Did it just occur to him now? This TV series has been on the air for more than a year,” Büyükataman told Radikal. “The series should be reviewed in line with historical facts, but I don’t believe in the sincerity of Mr. Prime Minister’s approach.”

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy parliamentary group chair İdris Balüken said Erdoğan’s main problem was his aspiration to tyrannize over arts and artists, while also intervening in the judiciary as the judiciary itself has already been manipulated by his positions.

“Taking this aspect into consideration, we can estimate the greatness of the danger of an order given to the judiciary for censorship and to take the arts under its control,” Balüken said. »

Historical dramas, such as ‘Muhteşem Yüzyıl’ (The Magnificent Century), are fictionalized accounts of the lives of sultans rather than historically accurate documentaries, according to academics. Source : Hürriyet

« Academics gather to discuss the increasing popularity of historical TV series in Turkey, noting the distinction between fact and fiction is often misunderstood by audiences. “The fictional side needs much more work because no one knows how a sultan approaches his wife,’ says an academic

It is important for television viewers to understand that historical dramas, such as the wildly popular “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (The Magnificent Century), are fictionalized accounts of the lives of sultans rather than historically accurate documentaries, according to academics.

“Turkish people confuse the idea of TV series and documentary. A TV series is a different thing than a documentary,” said Erhan Afyoncu, a professor on the board of the Atatürk High Institute of Culture, Language and History, as well as a former consultant for “The Magnificent Century.”

Fictional side

Some have issued criticisms of historical series, Afyoncu said during a recent symposium in the northern province of Tokat, but added that it was difficult to produce such series.

“Historic TV series have a reality side as well as a fictional side,” the former consultant said. “The fictional side needs much more work. You have to create a fiction. You know the political events from history and you stick to this reality when making a TV series. But no one knows how a sultan approached his wife or how he behaved in daily life. This is why you have to fictionalize it. We did it in ‘Magnificent Century.’ There were discussions about sending Süleyman the Magnificent on journeys in the TV series. But I added these journey scenes to the series. But it is interesting that the series had lower ratings in these episodes.” […]

The movie, ‘When Derin Falls,’ is about a 8 -year-old girl, who tries connecting with her father in every possbile way, including encounters with sexual undertones. Source : Hürriyet

« The recent controversy around a Turkish film dealing with incest reminded many of a similar brouhaha over another film on incest two years ago, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç’s warning to TV producers to keep incest away from screens

Red flags were raised amid media delirium last week when the head of the jury for a national film festival openly condemned a movie on moral grounds, allegedly threatening to ban the movie from entering the national competition.

The festival was the Golden Orange Film Festival, the biggest one in Turkey. The head of the jury was the ever-controversial Hülya Avşar, who had made headlines in the summer when a member of the jury resigned in protest over her selection, questioning her judgment and knowledge of film.

The film, which became the most talked-about film of the festival, was director Çağatay Tosun’s sophomore feature “Derin Düşün-ce” (a word play that could mean “Deep Thought” or “When Derin Falls,” referring to the little protagonist’s name). And the controversial subject matter was incest, a no-go area in Turkish cinema, television, literature and pop culture. […]

Incest is indeed a taboo that is ignored and remains invisible in the media, in cinema and on TV. And if there is a hint of incest, censorship comes in all forms and from all places. Sometimes it’s the audience, sometimes the head of the jury, and at other times, it’s the deputy prime minister.

Last spring, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç made a statement out of the blue in an attempt to put into action his conservative views on relationships (and probably the views of his fellow members of the pro-Islamic ruling Justice and Development Party – AKP) as depicted in dozens of TV series.

“Some of the marginal themes seen in recent TV series, such as relationships between people of the opposite sex and incest, have become cause for serious criticism, upsetting society. We have to take seriously the criticisms regarding these series. These themes have to be reassessed,” said Arınç, stealing headlines for a few days if not actually making much of an impact on the plots in the series.

It was not that difficult to trace the inappropriate relationships between the sexes he was referring to, as infidelity, marital rape and abusive relationships are not new to recent TV series in Turkey. But incest? The closest reference Arınç could have in mind was the series “Eve Düşen Yıldırım” (Lightning Strikes Home), which features two cousins falling in love; it’s not an unusual situation, and one that is definitely not found immoral in most parts of Turkey. The story, on the other hand, was not an original one written for TV. “Eve Düşen Yıldırım” was an adaptation of Turkish writer Nahid Sırrı Örik’s 1934 novel of the same name. In fact, it was not that uncommon to see cousins falling in love and marrying in the Turkish novels of the early 20th century, seen in such classics like Reşat Nuri Güntekin’s 1922 novel “Çalıkuşu” (The Wren) or “Aşk-ı Memnu” (Forbidden Love) by Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil, serialized in 1900. Of course, when the latter was adapted to TV to huge success in 2008. »

« Egypt is planning to launch a TV channel broadcasting in Turkish, an Egyptian minister has said.

Egyptian Information Minister Salah Abdul-Maqsoud told a correspondent from the Anatolia news agency in Cairo on Wednesday that during his visit to Turkey he had meetings with President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and that the two parties agreed to cooperate in the areas of culture and media.

There was a TV channel in Turkey broadcasting in Arabic, he said, adding that they are also planning to open a TV channel in Egypt broadcasting in Turkish. »

« The recent wind of popularity for Turkish television series in the Middle East, which has increased the advertising market by 35 percent, has now reached Western Europe. Sweden, the symbol of welfare, will soon broadcasting a Turkish television series for the first time ever.

Turkish television series have found increasing popularity in a variety of nations spanning from Croatia to Azerbaijan, the UAE to Kosovo and even in some of Asia’s most distant nations such as Singapore and Vietnam.

The popularity of Turkish television series in the Middle East has also resulted in a significant increase in exports. Turkey, which every year sells 100 television shows to 20 different countries, is aiming to increase the 60 million dollars in exports to 100 million. With their increasing influence in the Arab world, the popularity of Turkish television shows is now beginning to reap results in the economy. Figures from the past 18 months, which include the Arab Spring, are showing that these shows are also making a mark on the advertising market.

THE END IN EUROPE FOR A FIRST

In 2010, there were 81 television shows broadcasted in the region. In 2011, this figure went up to 160. Turkish television series constitute a significant number of the shows running. Lebanese K&Partners TV Services CEO Nabil Kazan says that these Turkish shows played a significant role in the 35 percent increase in the advertising market this period, which reached 14.3 billion dollars.

The recent popularity of Turkish shows in countries such as Russia and Ukraine has now made its way to Western Europe nations. Sweden will soon be broadcasting a Turkish television for the first time ever. Sweden’s state-run Sveriges Television (STV) has signed on to broadcast the ATV show « The End » (Son), marking the first time a Turkish television series will run in Western Europe.

THE END TO SHOW IN SWEDEN

Sweden’s STV, which broadcasts from 16 different channels, holds a 36.3 percent share of ratings. STV, which is also set to host Eurovision 2013, will be releasing « The End » for Swedish viewers in January. Expressing how exciting he finds the show, STV Director Göran Danesten says, « This show is wonderful and will truly leave a unique impression. »

« A Swedish channel has acquired Turkish drama series The End (25×90′) from prodco Ay Yapim and distributor Eccho Rights.

Pubcaster SVT plan to air the series on SVT2 in an access primetime slot in January 2013 as a daily half-hour version. The show originally aired earlier this year on ATV in Turkey.

“We are to be the first major broadcaster in Western Europe to air a series from the vibrant Turkish television drama scene. The End is a great and different addition to our drama slate,” said Göran Danasten, head of fiction at SVT.

The series tells the story of a man who disappears after a plane crash. Eccho Rights is the distribution arm of newly merged Sparks Networks of Sweden and Eccho Media of Benelux.

The SVT sale continues the boom in Turkish drama exports, which have seen series from the Eurasian territory airing across the Balkans, often ousting US imports from schedules there. »

Greek television audiences especially enjoy ‘Magnificent Century.’ The famous series is broadcast in Greece under the title ‘The Magnificent Suleiman.’. Source : Hürriyet

« Turkish television series that are broadcast in different countries are raising interest in Turkish language abroad. While Turkish TV series face many criticisms, they are also boosting interest in Turkish culture and language.

Greek audiences, in particular, have learned a number of Turkish words thanks to the series that are aired in their country. Turkish series such as “Muhteşem Yüzyıl” (Magnificent Century), “Sıla,” “Asi,” “Acı Hayat” (Bitter Life), “Deniz Yıldızı” (Starfish) and “Lale Devri” (Tulip Age) are among those shown in Greece, and Greek people have learned simple words in Turkish from them, such as “Hello,” “How are you?,” “My dear,” and also words like “Okay.”

Audience love Turkish actors

Greek television audiences especially enjoy “Magnificent Century.” The series is broadcast in Greece under the title “The Magnificent Suleiman.” Greek audiences love Turkish actors such as Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Beren Saat. Greeks generally say that they do not see very many differences between themselves and Turkish people. They also say the Turkish TV series remind them of family life in their own society.

Greek people learn Turkish words from watching such TV series as “Magnificent Century,” “Asi” and “Sıla,” Kostantina Ilia, the owner of a small restaurant in Athens’ Sintagma Square, told Anatolia news agency.

“I do not know if I will be able to visit Turkey, but I would like to visit the country or take lessons to learn more Turkish words,” she said. “I think all of the actors in Turkish series are very talented,” she said, adding that İmirzalıoğlu is especially popular.

Golden Dawn party leader Nikos Mihaloliakos has some negative ideas about Turkish series, but all Greeks do not agree with his views, Ilia said.

“Turkish series depict strong family relationships,” said Klea Vakifli, working in a café that sells Turkish desserts. “Magnificent Century” and “Sıla” are the Turkish series most watched by Greek viewers, Vakifli said. »